Where did the road go?

As this is the view at the rear of our farmhouse, and Arthur is positioned to show where the edge of the lane should be, it is probably no surprise that on Friday I became chief picker upper and dropper off in my Land Rover.

Every year two events happen locally, one is a charity telethon held in Pontaumur, our nearest town, to which (normally) kids and parents flock to play table games and buy raffle tickets for cakes etc. On Friday I did the cake round, fetching all the lovely choccie, sweet and gooey goodies and ferrying them down for others to win. And no - I did not pretend I got stuck in the snow and had to eat the scrumptious goods to keep my strength up.

It is currently reading -1°C in my studio so I have not been hanging out much in there.

The second event is held by our commune, the village that we are part of. The centre of the village is decorated with nativity scenes from around the world and people flock to take a tour of the scenes in the snow, drink a glass of warm fortifying mulled wine and a slice of gateau.

   http://www.landogne.fr/attachments/106_105_depliant_creches.pdf

Brendan and I have been involved every winter we have been here, putting up Christmas trees, decorating them, setting up nativity scenes and helping out in the bar. Friday afternoon I took my contingent of helpers down to the village to get our huge nativity scene set up, it features a village in Provence complete with working windmills, automated characters drinking wine, grinding coffe, making bread and hanging out the washing. It has 8 large buildings, and over 20 characters. It took 4 of us most of the afternoon to set up the buildings and the backdrops and we are nowhere near finished yet.  I have another building to make over the weekend as well as some repairs to hands, feet, and clothing.

Saturday was very very very cold, -12°C when I let the chickens out (they were not impressed I have to say), -7°C in the middle of the day was the highlight.

But on the up side it was sunny and looked very pretty and the first weekend of December is our family's traditional time for putting up the decorations so now the inside of the house is also pretty with twinkley lights and fluffy feathery decorations.

Bring on Christmas.

On the flip side, Arthur seems to have developed a serious addiction to snow.

Pumpkin Muffins

With the snow still falling and the broken freezer still half full, time for yet more cooking and baking.

Today : Pumpkin Muffins

120g butter at room temperature

150g brown sugar

4 tablespoons molasses or golden syrup

1 beaten egg at room temperature

225g cooked pumpkin puree

225g white flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

1 teaspoon of cinnamon

1 teaspoon of grated nutmeg (optional)

50g raisins or currants

Preheat oven to 200°C - this mix will make approximately 14 muffins so prepare the requisite number of paper cases.

• Cream the butter and sugar together untilo soft, add the sugar and the molasses/syrup and beat with an electric whisk until light and fluffy.
• Add the egg and the pumpkin, stir well until blended.
• Sift over the flour, salt, bicarb, cinnamon and nutmeg, fold just enough to blend together, do not overmix.
• Fold in the dried fruits.
• Spoon the mixture into the cases, filling them 3/4 full.
• Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until the tops spring back when touched lightly.

I am using my silicone mould for the first time. This was given to me by a friend who had tried it and was not impressed, I had obviously then shoved it into the back of the cupboard and now it is going up against paper cups in direct competition.

With the left overs of pumpkin puree and last night's courgette and tomato spicy meatball sauce, I am combining to make a Thai red curry soup for Brendan tomorrow for his breakfast.  Yes - breakfast, as he is going to be up at 4am to drive the snow plough for the first time around the commune, so by the time he gets home he thinks he is going to want something more substantial than a cup of coffee and a slice of cake like normal.

Brrrr = brrrrread

Ferguson and Pond decide that the window sill is better than stepping foot into the snow.

And when the weather is white and wintery what could be better than baking bread.

Iranian Barbari

These flat breads are so simple to make, taste great and and bake really fast.

225g unbleached white flour

1 teaspoon salt

15g fresh dried active yeast

140ml lukewarm water

1 teaspoon sugar

olive oil for brushing

Activate the yeast by combining the sugar with the water, adding the yeast and leaving for about 15 minutes until there are a couple of centimetres of froth visible.

Sift the flour and the salt into a bowl, add the yeast and mix together to form a soft dough, then on a floured surface knead for 8 to 10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic.

Leave to rise for an hour in an oiled bowl, covered by a damp tea towel or oiled cling film, in a warm place until the dough has doubled in size.

Knock back the dough and turn out onto a floured surface.  Divide it up into 6 equal sized portions, then shape into ovals, about 10 centimetres long and about a centimetre thick.  Space well apart on some floured baking trays, slash two or three slits across the top of the bread and leave to rise for another 20 minutes, covered by some oiled cling film.

Brush with olive oil just before baking for 15 minutes at 200°C, or until a pale golden colour.

These flat breads taste best warm, and can be used for dipping into runny curry sauces, stews and casseroles - or like us for lunch, with butter and homemade cherry jam.

Pond and Mr Pink ignore the snowy weather and lie around in front of the Rayburn.

While I am on a baking spree and have copious amounts of flour flung across the kitchen I am attempting some breakfast rolls - ready for a lazy Sunday morning tomorrow before we head out for lunch with friends.

Ensaimadas

225g unbleached white flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

50g caster sugar

15g dried active yeast

75ml lukewarm milk

1 beaten egg

30ml sunflower oil

50g melted butter

Activate the yeast with the milk and sugar, leave for about 15 minutes until frothy.

Sift the flour and the salt into a bowl, make a well and add the yeast, the beaten egg and the sunflower oil, and mix to form a smooth dough.

Knead on a floured surface until smooth and elastic, then place in an oiled bowl, cover and leave to rise for about an hour in a warm place or until doubled in size.

Knock back and turn out onto a floured surface, then divide into roughly 16 equal sized balls.  Rub each ball between the palms of your floured hands to create a 30 cm thin rope of dough.

Dip each rope into the melted butter and in a greased baking tray arrange in a coil.

Cover with oiled cling film and leave to rise for another 45 minutes in a warm place until they double in size.

Brush the rolls with water and dust with icing sugar, then bake for 10 minutes until light golden brown.

Mine are in the oven now and I am hoping they turn out like these:

Once baked, leave to cool then dust with icing sugar again.  Serve either warm or cold.

I remember these with fond memories on holiday in Spain.  When Thea was much younger and a much fussier eater we used to buy these on holiday and she would eat them pretty much all day long.  They rapidly became one of her favourite foods and we used to have to smuggle packets and packets home in our suitcases.  Nowadays I think you can find them in Lidl or Aldi, every now and again they even turn up here in our French supermarkets on special Spanish flavour promotions.  But nothing beats the smell of home baking, and even if I don't manage to make them look like the real thing, nor taste exactly like the real thing, at least I have made them and filled the house with the smell of baking.

Domestic goddessy or what?

All this belies the fact that I was up a 5.45am this morning watching the snow fall and dawn break.  I had two fires lit and the coffee on by 6.30am.  I think I will be ready for a nap in about an hour's time.

Feels like winter is arriving

Frozen cobwebs through the chives.

It feels as though winter has arrived, we have had varying forecasts for the end of the week from -10°C overnight on Friday to one forecaster telling us we should consider ourselves lucky to be below 1000m otherwise the freezing rain of the past couple of days would have fallen as snow.

Luckily the rain clouds have cleared and yesterday was bright and sunny - albeit not very warm - it did however mean that I could get outside and catch up on some of the outstanding pre-winter jobs.

I had to write a list otherwise I would forget what I had intended to do

Over the afternoon:

fennel was cut for drying inside and the root balls transferred undercover in the hopes that they may regrow next year,

dried on the vine haricot beans were collected in,

broccoli heads cut for the freezer,

red and white cabbage cut for the freezer,

bean canes taken in and the twine rewound ready for next spring,

red tomatoes in the greenhouse harvested,

five jars of passata cooked,

last of the patty pan squashes cut and cooked for dinner,

dill seeds collected, dried and bottled,

field mushrooms chopped and left to dry in the warming oven overnight.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macrolepiota_procera

thanks again wikipedia 

I have just scrubbed the caps, removed the stalks and roughly chopped, then laid the pieces out on  baking trays and I will leave them in the warming oven of the Rayburn overnight and probably most of the next day.  Once dry traditionally they should be strung up to use, but I think I may put mine in a dry sterlie kilner jar.  To use they need to be soaked for about 4 hours before adding to a dish, but you can then use the soaking liquor to add flavour to soups and sauces too.

I have at least another two large bowl fulls of plum tomatoes to ripen, not sure if they will do so before it gets too cold in the greenhouse.

This time I just used the plum tomatoes and a little olive oil, salt and pepper, left them to simmer for 40 minutes then into some sterilised jars.  I make various flavoured sauces and a plain mix too to use for soups and as a base for ketchups.

Friday night take out - Roast Pumpkin Thai Soup

Only we don't have one so this is as good as, i.e. it is quick and easy to make, uses stuff from the larder so is economic and frugal too.

Back in June during the horrid wet weather I made up a jar of Thai green curry seasoning (here).

In the spirit of waste not want not, having roasted some patty pan squashes the other day and not really having any clear plan of what to do with them, I made a huge pan soup.

Roast Squash Thai Soup


1 large squash or pumpkin
2 teaspoons of Thai green curry paste as per the recipe referenced above
1 litre of chicken stock
1 teaspoon salt
200ml of thick cream or coconut milk

Roast the pumpkin.  I know this seems a bit daft, to cook something twice but there is a big taste difference.  To be honest it is just as economic to roast for 45 minutes as it is to cook the pumpkin in the soup for 45 minutes.

Cut the pumpkin into large cubes once deseeded and the skin removed.  I used patty pans so no need to do either but then I am still overrun with them so they are going into every meal at the moment.  Spread the cubes over a large roasting tin, season, add a drizzle of olive oil and roast for about 45 minutes until the squash is soft and squidgy.

Bring a litre of stock to the boil, add the Thai seasoning, the salt and the pumpkin and simmer for a couple of minutes, then add the cream; or if you have it coconut milk, the added sweetness of the coconut milk is good but don't stress too much about a lack of exact ingredients.

The idea of a good warming comfort eating soup is that it should derive from the ingredients you have to hand or the harvest from your garden.  A soup you shop for is not the same.  (my opinion)

Where was I - you've roasted the squashes, simmered the stock, added the salt, the Thai seasoning and stirred in the cream - oh yes - time to eat!

Two day catch-up.

With Brendan's return eagerly awaited on Friday (not so much him but the car of goodies wending its way back across France) I thought I would spend some time in my studio before his return knowing that the weekend would be a bit manic and taken up with other things -like unpacking said car!

So I dug out the lovely material I bought the other week at the car boot sale, gave it a wash and an iron, and set to with my scissors and cut two bag patterns on Friday morning before work.  I decided to make one bag a two handled slouch with a contrast lining in cerise, and another tube bag with a denim base.

When I got back from work on Friday afternoon, it was much too hot for weeding, so I grabbed the chance to shut myself away for a couple of hours with my sewing machine, and managed to get the tube bag sewn up, I used a bit of the cerise again for the base lining on the interior, and finished with some burgandy ribbon I had lying around.

The slouch bag will have to be sewn up another time, as Saturday has been fully occupied so far with trying to find space for the UK bargains that he bought back with him, we now have a crisp mountain in the pantry, nestling in the foothills of rich tea biscuits and malted milks.

Off to cut up some trousers for Thea to make some shorts, having made a few snacky pizzas, quiches and salads ready for guests in a couple of hours.

Quick edit - one of the best things about Brendan travelling back by car is the fact that he could bring with him some of the books being hoarded kindly for me by my old neighbour.  It is almost enough to make you look forward to winter and a good read in front of the fire while it has a good old snow outside.

Day 3 of the Larder Challenge - Carrot and Potato Thai Green Soup

It seems ridiculous that I am considering making a hot soup to eat in June, but with the constant rainfall, a winter warmer soup is just what I need.

And with the Rayburn lit for the hot water as the solar panel is 'resting' (posh actor's euphemism for not working - due to lack of solar input), I thought a hot soup bubbling away on the hot plate would raise our morale from the sodden depths.

Raiding the depths of the veg basket - I should have considered stocking up on fresh veg before starting this challenge, oh well too late now, I found a handful of sorry looking carrots and a couple of spuds.

Carrot and Potato Green Thai Chili Soup


Peel and chop into smallish chunks a handful of decidedly limp carrots and a couple of spuds about to sprout (you could use fresh ones but this is what was left in my larder)
Boil in a litre of chicken stock until they begin to disintegrate, then either blitz with a stick blender or use a potato masher to achieve a puree
At this point you may need to add some water, taste to see if you need just water or seasonings as well, a strong stock would be fine but if you are using a cube you may need the additional seasonings.

Now stir in a heaped teaspoon of green Thai chili paste

Leave to simmer away gently for half an hour  until serving or cover and stick in the oven for later, then serve with some bread.



To make your own paste:  Green Thai Chili Paste

Blend all the ingredients together to make a small
jar's worth that will keep in the fridge for a couple 
of weeks, or can be frozen in teaspoon sized dollops
on a tray in the freezer to use another time.

• 1 small onion or a shallot
• 4-5 cloves garlic
• 1 thumb-size piece of ginger
• 1  cup chopped fresh coriander leaves & stems
• 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp. ground pepper 
• 1/2 tsp. ground coriander
• 3 Tbsp. fish sauce
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 Tbsp. lime juice
• 1 tsp. brown sugar
• 3-4 Tbsp. coconut milk or double cream
• 1 stalk lemongrass
• 1-3 green chilies depending on how hot you like your curry

Dry day on Sunday - book swap

We had a lovely day on Sunday, it started dry and bright so out went the washing, and out came the hoe. Lots of weeding got done, ready for my onions and beans to be planted out in the week.

In the afternoon a friend and I had a girly trip out to a bookswap.

With English books few and far between and on-line retailers either charging a fortune for postage or a fortune for the books themselves (that is a Euro to Sterling price comparison - most of these sites don't seem to have an up to date exhange rate and in some cases a book for 5.oo GBP can cost over 10 euros), book swaps are an essential part of life.

As well as a bona fide reason to slack off in the afternoon for coffee and cake at someone else's house.

I am very happy with my loot, roll on winter months so I can get some time to sit down and read them.

Reluctant model

With the rain finally easing off, and after a manic hour of weeding in the garden as well as getting my beetroot seedlings planted out, I finally got my reluctant model to don her coat and head outside for a few photos.

I finished this lastest round of hats the other week, but had not managed to get them listed yet as both the weather and my model were conspiring against me.

With this dry spell possibly continuing into tomorrow I may be able to get the rest of my items photographed and listed. This afternoon I am making a start with these.

Late Spring may seem to be the wrong time to list wooly hats, but as the inclement May has shown us, it is not summer yet.